Method for monitoring preparation of items to be mailed

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for monitoring the printing and transport of documents through a system for preparing items to be mailed. The method comprises obtaining a reference code for the documents from a file on the basis of which the respective document has been printed, transporting the printed documents through the system, obtaining an image from the printed document in a location in the system for obtaining an image data set representing the obtained image, comparing each of the image data sets with at least one of the reference codes, and in response to the image data set and the at least one compared reference code not matching, generating a warning. The reference codes are compared with associated image data sets in an order corresponding to the order or to an inversion of the order in which the documents have been printed.

1 . A method for monitoring preparation of items to be mailed, comprising:
 printing documents;   obtaining a reference code for each of at least a plurality of the printed documents from a file on the basis of which the respective document has been printed;   transporting the printed documents through a system for preparing items to be mailed;   obtaining an image from at least a plurality of the printed documents in at least one location in the system so that an image data set is obtained for each of the plurality of documents;   comparing each of the image data sets with at least one of the reference codes; and   in response to the image data set and the at least one compared reference code not matching, generating a warning, wherein the reference codes are compared with associated image data sets in an order corresponding to the order or to an inversion of the order in which the documents have been printed.   
   
   
       2 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein reference codes are obtained for main documents of sets of the printed documents only. 
   
   
       3 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein in response to one of the image data sets and the associated one of the reference codes not matching, a next one of the reference codes is also compared with said image data set and wherein, in response to a match between said next reference code and said scanning result, a warning indicating the absence of the document associated to the non matching reference code is generated. 
   
   
       4 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein in response to the warning an image corresponding to said non-matching reference code is displayed or printed. 
   
   
       5 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the reference code is associated to data identifying a printable file for printing the associated printed document. 
   
   
       6 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the documents are printed in accordance with printing instructions in a print file and wherein the print file and the reference code have been obtained by processing document data from a common document file.